How Paternal Smoking Affects Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Majority of married couples desire to have kids of their own but the healthy habit of one or both of them can stand in the way of making this desires a reality.

One of these dangerous habits is smoking. Smoking is a social vice that comes with severe consequencea on the present and the future of anyone who indulges in it.

Research shows that when a husband/partner smokes it increases the risk of having a spontaneous abortion also known as miscarriage in their partner (due to passive smoking) compared to women whose spouse do not smoke. Tobacco use is dangerous and the husband’s not just wives should stop smoking when they are planning for pregnancy.

Sadly, there is still a huge risk of spontaneous abortion even if smoking stops before pregnancy. This goes further to emphasize how terribly smoking can affect the unborn foetus. Smoking not only causes miscarriage it also damages the sperm making it difficult for conception to take place.

Another research links paternal smoking to early stoppage of breastfeeding in their partners. According to Family Included report, a study in Hong Kong shows that ‘breastfeeding is 20% more likely to stop if the father smokes. If both mother and father smoke, breastfeeding is 60% more likely to stop.” This invariably stops the child from enjoying the benefits derived from breastfeeding and predispose the child to be a smoker too in the nearest future.